Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM): A holistic perspective on cybersecurity.
Learn about the advantages, obstacles, and ways to incorporate CTEM into your organisation's cybersecurity strategy.
In today’s ever-changing digital landscape, Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) is increasingly essential in modern cyber security strategies. Traditional security methods, such as periodic risk assessments, vulnerability scans, and annual penetration tests, have become insufficient for the evolving cyber threats. On the contrary, CTEM provides a proactive and adaptable framework that continuously monitors the threat landscape, adjusting security controls to effectively mitigate risks.
Who can implement the CTEM framework?
CTEM is not limited to large enterprises; it is equally suitable for small and medium-sized businesses in various industries, especially those interested in proactively managing cyber security risks.
The framework is scalable and can be implemented by organisations with different levels of cyber security maturity. It is particularly crucial for entities that need to comply with industry regulations and standards, as CTEM facilitates continuous assessment and remediation of security risks to meet regulatory requirements.
CTEM is particularly beneficial for organisations with a significant digital presence, facing numerous cyber threats that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their data and systems.
It is well-suited for any organisation seeking a systematic approach to continuously monitor, assess, and address vulnerabilities across their attack surface, including networks, systems, and assets.
The CTEM Framework: a five-stage process
Scoping: Define the program’s scope, identify key assets for protection, and assess associated risks.
Discovery: Identify vulnerabilities within the organisation's digital infrastructure through regular vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and proactive patch management.
Prioritisation: Analyse and prioritise identified vulnerabilities based on severity to focus on addressing the most critical risks first.
Validation: Ensure an accurate assessment of the organisation's vulnerability to threats, evaluating the effectiveness of remediation efforts.
Mobilisation: Implement and maintain robust threat defense measures, define the initiative's scope, set goals and objectives, and identify key stakeholders and resources.
Key components of CTEM
Continuous risk management: Involves ongoing risk assessment to identify, analyze, and prioritise security risks in real-time, enabling effective resource allocation and strategic risk mitigation planning.
Vulnerability assessment and remediation: Regular vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and proactive patch management are essential for addressing security weaknesses.
Threat monitoring and detection: Utilising advanced tools such as SIEM systems, IDS, and threat intelligence feeds to detect and respond promptly to security incidents.
Adaptive security controls: Emphasising responses to changing threat conditions by leveraging advanced technologies like zero-trust networking and micro-segmentation to limit breach impact and contain exposures.
The benefits of CTEM
Improved threat visibility: Enhanced insight into the threat landscape enables early detection of potential risks.
Proactive risk management: Enables proactive handling of vulnerabilities and threats based on continuous monitoring and assessment.
Prioritisation of threats: Focuses on addressing critical risks first by prioritising vulnerabilities based on their severity.
Enhanced cyber resilience: Improves the organisation's ability to withstand and recover from cyber threats by continuously monitoring, assessing, prioritising, and resolving security issues.
Actionable insights: Provides actionable insights for faster response to security risks.
Alignment with business objectives: Ensures security measures support the organisation's overall goals.
Challenges of CTEM implementation
Alignment of teams: Aligning non-security and security teams can be challenging, necessitating clear communication and shared understanding of objectives.
Resource constraints: Limited budget and skilled personnel can hinder effective CTEM implementation.
False positives: Automated tools may generate false positives, diverting attention from genuine vulnerabilities.
Manual processes: Manual validation can be labor-intensive and prone to errors, requiring significant human resource investment.
Complexity of attack surfaces: Modern attack surfaces are complex and continuously evolving, requiring constant decision-making and collaboration.
Proactive vs. reactive approach: Shifting from a reactive to a proactive approach can be challenging for organisations accustomed to periodic risk assessments.
Integration of tools: Effective CTEM implementation requires fully integrated tools to address pertinent threats and enhance security posture.
CTEM offers a proactive and comprehensive approach to cyber security, providing a structured process to manage and mitigate cyber threats. By integrating continuous risk management, vulnerability assessment and remediation, threat monitoring and detection, and adaptive security controls, CTEM offers a robust framework to enhance an organisation's cyber security posture.
CTEM is ideal for organisations seeking a proactive, ongoing, and systematic approach to cyber security, aiming to reduce the risk of successful cyber-attacks and strengthen their overall security posture.
Peritus can assist your business in aligning with the CTEM framework by leveraging our technology and service delivery expertise. Please consult your Network and Security Specialist for available options to complement your cyber security strategy, or reach out to our Sales team via the provided form. Services tailored to align with the framework include: